Amphibians & Fish

Common Frog - Rana temporaria The most common of the UK's amphibians, The date they arrive in a pond varies considerably from year to year but all the frogs spawn within a day or two of each other. They don't feed during the breeding season but otherwise eat flies, slugs and worms. The adults hibernate in muddy burrows, deep in leaf litter or in the mud at the bottom of ponds. They can breathe through their skin so survive without having to surface, Very common

Common Toad - Bufo bufo The female is around twice the size of the male. At breeding times, Toads make their way to ponds and lakes where males embrace females in a strong arm lock. Toad spawn is laid in long strings..Toads generally hunt at night and are most active in wet weather. As a defence against predators they secrete a toxic, foul tasting substance called bufagin. Adult Common Toads eat invertebrates such as insects, larvae, spiders, slugs and worms. Common in Bury.

Smooth Newt - Lissotriton vulgaris. The Smooth Newt (or Common Newt) can be distinguished from the similar Palmate Newt by its spotty throat, which is unspotted in Palmate. Adult Smooth Newts emerge from hibernation on land from late February to May and head to fresh water to breed. They favour ponds and shallow lakesides. After the breeding season they move onto land such as woodland, damp heath and marsh areas for the rest of the year, feeding on insects, worms and slugs. The female lays up to 400 eggs, each stuck individually to water plant . Common

Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticusMales have webbed hind feet and have marked dorsolateral ridges. It lives in ponds, lakes, canals, marshes, forests, pasture or agricultural land, sometimes in acid pools on upland moorland or coastal areas. It spends the breeding season (February to May) in water laying 100 to 300 eggs. Adults hibernate on land under logs and stones between November and March, or more rarely in water. They feed on invertebrates, small crustaceans, planktonic animals, daphnia and also frog tadpoles. Common in Bury

Great Crested Newt - Triturus cristatus Itis Britain's largest and most threatened newt. The body is generally dark brown to black in colour with a warty appearance, which gives the species its other common name, the warty newt. The underside is bright orange with black markings..It feed on a range of aquatic invertebrates, but occasionally tackle large prey items such as adult smooth newts and large dragonflies. They are mainly active at night, spending the day at the bottom of ponds or hidden in vegetation. This species inhabits a wide range of habitats, including farmland, woods, grasslands, dunes, quarries, industrial and 'brown-field' sites, within which it favours large ponds with abundant weeds and no fish. Heavily protected with it's own EU directive and in severe decline. This was found in Bury searching for ground beetles. Present in a number of locations in Radcliffe and Bury.

Pike - Esox lucius Pike catch their food largely by stealth and lightning-fast acceleration, taking their prey unawares. A large adult Pike will eat Roach, Rudd, Dace and Perch, Trout and Salmon, and even other members of their own species. They will also take frogs, newts, crayfish and they have been known to catch ducklings and small mammals. Taken in Bury

Common Roach (Rutilus rutilus, The roach will prefer waters that are somewhat vegetated, because larval and young fish are protected by the vegetation and the mature fish can use it for food. It will eat plant material, bottom dwelling (benthic) invertebrates and plankton. Young fish feed mainly on plankton, the mature fish will feed mainly on benthos. It can adapt to environments where invertebrates are scarce by slow growth, maintaining a slender body shape and early maturation.

Bullhead - Cottus gobio Occurs in freshwater streams, rivers and lakes with hard stony substrates and shows a preference for fast flowing, shallow water bodies. The large pectoral fins enable Bullheads to hold their position in fast flowing water. Found in Streams around Bury

Minnow is a general term used to refer to small freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as bait fish or for fishing bait. More specifically, it refers to small freshwater fish of the carp family